CHEROKEE COUNTY JURY SENDS MAN TO DEATH ROW FOR SHOOTING
DEATH OF LOCAL WOMAN

GAFFNEY - A Spartanburg County man has been sentenced to death for
killing a local woman inside her home.

A Cherokee County jury issued the decision against
Jonathan Kyle Binney 28, about 9:30 p.m. tonight. Circuit Judge
Derham Cole set the execution date for Jan. 14, 2003. The actual
date of the execution will be determined once Binney exhausts his
appeals.

The jury convicted Binney of murder and first-degree
burglary Monday night in connection to the June 7, 2000 shooting
death of Judy Southern, 39. Binney broke into Southern's home and
waited six hours for the rural mail carrier to come home. During
the wait, Binney drank beer and he played video games. Binney shot
Southern shot her in the abdomen with pistol moments after she entered
the rural Cherokee County home.

Binney left a written confession and a map in the
front yard of the Southern residence.

Authorities arrested Binney the morning of June 8,
2000. He was found hiding in the basement of his wife's Pacolet-area
home.

Seventh Circuit Solicitor Trey Gowdy teamed with Deputy
Solicitor Donnie Willingham to prosecute the case.
At the time of the killing, Binney was awaiting trial on a sexual
assault of a three-month-old relative. A Spartanburg County jury
found him guilty of first-degree criminal sexual conduct with a
minor on April 27, 2001. Binney received a 30-year prison sentence
for the conviction.

"These are not pleasant or happy trials, but
justice was done for Judy Southern," Gowdy said.